Will Atkinson, former head of Atlantic Books and longtime sales executive at Faber, has launched Wilton Square, a new U.K.-based publisher which plans to acquire titles from the now-defunct publishers Unbound and Boundless. Atkinson will co-lead as joint CEO with Dan Hiscocks of Eye Books, where Atkinson is also an executive.
"I hope to offer the Unbound and Boundless authors maximum continuity for their books," Atkinson told PW.
Atkinson said he is currently sending contracts to approximately 20 authors, with conversations ongoing with another 30, and an additional 20 to 30 authors he has yet to contact. "I have had another 30 contact me directly," Atkinson said, referring to new inquiries from Unbound authors seeking a publishing home.
The new company represents a rescue operation for stranded Unbound titles as well as Atkinson's broader ambition to build a lasting publishing house. "I'm trying to set up a publishing company that will still be around in 100 years time," Atkinson said. "I'm here for the long haul."
Wilton Square will operate under a revenue-sharing model inherited from Eye Books, offering authors 35 pence for every pound of revenue taken in by the publisher, rather than traditional royalties. Atkinson said the model appeals to former Unbound authors because "they are actually very familiar with the concept of joint ventures" from their previous crowdfunding experience with Unbound.
"Generally, once you've sold about 3,000 paperbacks, [the joint venture deal] is actually better for the author," Atkinson said, though he acknowledged the risk that authors receive nothing if books fail to sell. Part of the appeal for acquiring Unbound titles is that production costs are largely eliminated since books have already been typeset and designed and, in some cases, printed and already in the warehouse. This way, he said, everyone can start earning revenue immediately.
The joint-venture nature of the contract means authors "do tend to work hard," rather than simply delivering manuscripts and expecting publishers to handle everything else, Atkinson said. He also noted that "agents don't like it," because they are not earning an immediate percentage of an advance. In this light, Atkinson said he remains "open to that conversation" for traditional publishing deals when working with agented authors.
Atkinson noted that under U.K. law, rights to Unbound titles reverted to authors following the company's collapse. The arrangement allows Wilton Square to "trade with the Unbound ISBNs in the U.K.," though U.S distribution presents complications requiring new ISBNs or for books to be stickered. Authors whose rights have reverted also receive existing stock. "The authors were given stock in lieu of payment for those that have been reverted before the administration," Atkinson said. In the U.K., the acquisition process is being further expedited by Macmillan Distribution, which handled Unbound titles and will be distributing Wilton Square. According to Atkinson, "A simple stock transfer at Macmillan is all that's required to ensure continuity of sales."
Atkinson said acquiring Unbound titles provides immediate credibility within the industry and with retailers that would otherwise take years to develop. "By doing this, I think I've saved myself about two or three years of build," Atkinson said. "It's given us heft in the market." The company has also already secured international distribution agreements, with Atkinson reporting confirmed arrangements for South Africa through Jonathan Ball and Australia through NewSouth. Atkinson said he was still in discussions with Consortium, Unbound’s distributor in the U.S.
Atkinson said he was focusing on acquiring the books from Unbound’s last few years, during a period when the company moved past pure crowdfunding to traditional editorial acquisition.
This is not the first effort to rally around former Unbound and Boundless authors and provide opportunities for former staff. In late July, former Unbound head of rights Ilona Chavasse, publicity director Rina Gill, and marketing manager Divia Kainth have teamed to launch the London-based publishing agency Tiger Team Creative. Last week, it was announced that Robinson Psychology has acquired No One Talks About This Stuff: Twenty-Two Stories of Almost Parenthood, edited by Kat Brown, a book originally published by Unbound.
Beyond acquiring defunct Unbound and Boundless titles, Wilton Square plans to develop its own frontlist starting in 2026. "The immediate priority is to look after those first-class authors who were handpicked by Unbound editors," Atkinson said, while he also confirmed that he’s currently considering several projects that he would originate on his own. The company hopes to begin actively trading this month, relaunching editions of existing Unbound titles.
“It's exciting and we plan to have some excellent books on our first list," he said. "Some of the most popular titles may require immediate reprinting to fulfill existing demand." He added: "It’s a good problem to have, but we need to watch our cash flow—if you don’t, you can quickly get yourself into trouble.”
